Open Locker Room Quotes: Week 2

Byron Leftwich, understands who and what is. Gaines Adams suggest it’s just missed assignments that plagued the team in the season opener. Defensive tackle Chris Hovan thinks the team should get back to the basic fundamentals of football. Running back Carnell Williams believes the injuries he has endured have made him unselfish and mature.

DE GAINES ADAMS(On playing Buffalo this Sunday)
“We just have to prepare this week and work hard. We have another tough game going up to their place. We just have to be prepared, cut down on the missed assignments and play hard.”

(On what they need to improve on to get to the QB)
“Overall, it was just missed assignments. That’s the whole thing that it boils down to and big plays. We have four big plays and I think three of them resulted in touchdowns, you aren’t going to win the game. Our pass rushing, we did some good things. Obviously, we didn’t have any sacks between the four of us so we have to elevate that.”

DT CHRIS HOVAN(On what the defense needs to work on)
“Technique, fundamentals and communication, the basics of football. Once you get the basics of football down, it allows you to play that much faster. It allows you to see the field, to have vision of the field that much quicker. It’s because you aren’t thinking, all you are doing is reacting. That’s what defense is all about, it’s reaction. Once we get our calls, once we get lined up, we are all good. We are ready to play football and ready to react.”

QB BYRON LEFTWICH(On how he feels after Sunday’s game)
“I’m great, I’m okay. It feels like any other week during the season. I’m okay.”

(On how the offensive line performed)
“I think the good thing is, we got a head on a hat. Anytime you are playing a 3-4 team with the things that they do defensively, especially with the players they have, you want to get a hat on a hat. We did get a hat on a hat and with that said and done, I think we are all fine with that.”

(On what makes him most confident about the offensive line)
“I just see what we do everyday. I see what we do everyday in practice. Every time we go out there, we get better. We get better as a team and that’s all you can ask for. I see it every day so I have no real worries with the offensive end. I’ve been on good offenses and I’ve been on bad. I feel like we still have a lot to accomplish, we still have a lot to do because no one is going to give us anything. On paper, it says we should have a legitimate offense, but we still have to go out there and work our tail off, which we have been doing. What we do everyday gives me the confidence to go out there and be successful.”

(On the pressure)
“I was born slow so I really have no choice. I’m not a guy that really runs around in the pocket. I understand my game, I understand what I can do out there on the football field and I understand that I’m the guy that has to get the ball in the right guys hand. Sometimes that is going to mean taking one. I’m fine with that, that’s the way I’ve always played football, that’s really the only way I know how to play football. I think we will be okay with that.”

(On what defenses plan to face him)
“Believe me; I know what teams try against me. Like I said, when you are a pocket guy, teams will try certain things against you. You have to think, I’ve been slow all my life so I have been going through these types of things all my life. I know what I have to do and can’t do when guys bring pressure, what I can get away with and what I can’t get away with. It’s not a surprise to me when those things happen because I have been going through this my whole career, understanding where guys are going to bring pressure and what they are going to try to do to me as a quarterback. I’m fine with that. We just have to try to keep making plays.”

(On Greg Olson putting up offensive numbers)
“That was great because it was tough for him. All last week he was running around, I know he wasn’t getting any sleep at night because his responsibility changed like that in a weekend. For us to go out there and play the way that we played offensively is great, knowing that it is 10 days. Now we are at the point where we have more than 10 days, let’s try to keep adding to what we did last week. I think we have a chance because we still made mistakes out there. Even though we did a lot of good stuff, we made mistakes out there that could have been big plays. We left some things out there that we will try to correct and hopefully we can capitalize on it this Sunday.”

(On Buffalo’s defense)
“They have good players on their defense and that’s the thing. They are a team that’s not going to do a whole lot. They aren’t going to do a lot so from a standpoint of trying to prepare for all these different kind of things, you don’t have to do that this week. I think what they believe in is that they do what they do very well. You guys saw the game; they are a very good defensive football team. We have to make sure we execute well on offense in order to have success against these guys and we’ll start that preparation today.”

DT ROY MILLER(On what stands out with Buffalo)
“They are very balanced and they run the ball and throw it. They have two weapons outside at receiver and the running back is really good also.”

(On the game plan)
“Number one, we just have to stop their run and we have to get after the quarterback. Like I said, they are a very balanced team.”

RB CARNELL WILLIAMS(On if his experiences made him unselfish and mature)
“I think they do. You look at the other guys and they were some guys that didn’t get drafted. I was a guy that was drafted high, came in with all of the glory, rookie of the year but I had to fight back from injury. It all balances. We have all been through high points and low points in our careers. We want to help one another and have a successful season.”